phoning because you’d broken your promise to her.”
Alain’s head reared. His eyes looked suspiciously bright. “I wouldn’t have.”
He tousled his nephew’s hair. “I know that. What I don’t understand is why the directrice of the school didn’t tell me you’d phoned her wanting the same information?”
A resigned sigh escaped Alain’s lips. “Guy got it for me from the school receptionist.”
His nephew was not only determined, but resourceful. “So…now my assistant is in on this, too.”
“Yes, but he swore he would never say anything.”
“He kept his promise.” When Tris had phoned Guy for an update on business, his assistant had been mum on the subject of Alain.
“Are you mad at me?”
“No. I think I’m very lucky to have a nephew who would go to the lengths you did to help me remember my past.”
Alain’s relief was visible. “Ms. Marsden asked me to leave it alone.”
“Do you know why?”
“She said something kind of weird.”
“What was that?”
“I shouldn’t wake up a dog if it’s sleeping.” He cocked his head. “What did she mean?”
“Can’t you guess?”
His eyes squinted up at him. “Because it might make it mad for being bothered?”
“That’s one way of putting it.”
“But you’re not mad.”
If only Alain knew… So many destructive emotions were bombarding Tris, he couldn’t put a name to them.
“Let’s just say that now I’ve talked to her, I’m anxious to meet her and clear up some questions I’ve had.” He put a hand on Alain’s shoulder. “Come on. The grandparents will be wondering what’s keeping us.”
“Wait—”
“What is it?”
“You were right about one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“You know how Rachel promised there’d never be anyone else for her but you?”
“I remember.”
“Well, she broke it just like you said she would.”
“You mean she’s married.”
“I guess she already told you. She has a daughter, too.” He kept on chatting. “Her name’s Natalie. She’s the one who answered the phone when I called.”
Tris felt the impact of his nephew’s words like the grenade that had exploded a little too near him during one of the mock raids.
Mon Dieu.
Ever since Alain had read him the note, he’d been plagued by a sense of unease where his relationship with Rachel Marsden had been concerned. Since speaking with Madame Soulis, he’d entertained certain suspicions.
After talking to Rachel, he was in no doubt.
He’d made her pregnant.
Why else had she been so desperate to keep things hushed up.
Was Natalie his flesh and blood?
Rachel could have had several children by now. If his child were alive, the eldest would be Tris’s son or daughter.
Then again, she might have given up their baby for adoption, or miscarried…or heaven forbid, ended her pregnancy. Whatever the answer, he could scarcely comprehend it.
“Uncle Tris? Are you all right?”
“Of course,” he lied. “I’m just anxious to leave for the States so I can meet Rachel Marsden and get filled in on my past.”
“I wish I could go with you.”
He grimaced. “I wish it were possible, but this is something I have to do alone.”
“I know. I’m glad you’re going to find out what happened. Maybe then your headaches will go away.”
Tris repressed a groan and hugged his nephew.
“I swear I’ll be back in time to take you camping tomorrow afternoon. For the time being, I’ll tell your grandparents some unexpected business has come up I have to deal with.”
“Okay.”
Before they went out to his parents’ car, he phoned his pilot in Geneva and told him to get the jet ready for takeoff.
CHAPTER THREE
BY THE time Natalie and Kendra came running out the doors of the ice rink to the car, Rachel was an emotional disaster.
“Hi, Mom!”
“Hi, Mrs. Marsden!”
Both girls put their bags in the trunk, then got in the back seat.
“How was practice?” Rachel asked as she drove out of the parking lot.
To her relief they regaled her with enough information that they were still talking about it when she pulled in Pearsolls’ driveway a few minutes later to let Kendra out.
Once she’d retrieved her bag and had run in the house, Rachel started up the car again. To her chagrin, her precocious daughter eyed her with concern. “What’s wrong, Mom? You’re so quiet. Is Nana sick or something?”
“No. This isn’t about your grandmother.” There was no easy way to broach the subject. Once they reached the street and merged with the traffic Rachel said, “Your father called me this morning after you left for Kendra’s house.”
Natalie stared at her incredulously. “On his own? I mean, Alain didn’t tell him to call?”
“No.” Rachel was still in shock. In fact she’d been in this condition all day, and had gone home from work early. “No one told him to do anything. He made it abundantly clear he was acting independent of his nephew.”
“Oh, Mom—”
“He’ll be in Concord tonight.”
“You’re kidding—” The joy in her daughter’s voice was beyond description. “Does he know about me?”
He knows.
“Not about you specifically, honey. He hung up before we could have a long conversation. But I can tell he suspects we had a child together, and he won’t
